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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. BROOKS.

PILL MACHINE.

N0. 290,524. Patented Dec. 18,1883.

n. PETERS mmu m. wmiwm u. a

(No Modem 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. J BROOKS.

PILL MACHINE. i No. 290,524. Patented Dec. 18, 1883.

WITNESSES UVVE/VTOR I j gfimd, 4% I (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

r J. BROOKS.

PILL MACHINE.

No."290,524. Patented Dec. 18. 1883.

WITNESSES u. Prrzna mun-mm Wahhlg'au. u. c.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4. J. BROOKS.

PILL MACHINE.

(No Mode/ I.)

Patented 1360.18, 1883.

l/Vl/ENTOA I Afforney WITNESSES" ,6? 'fi N. Pains Pwou c u hnr, Wnhmzm n, c.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5. 7

(No Model.)

J. BROOKS.

PILL MACHINE.

No. 290,524. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

WITNESSES I INVENTOI? mm M 1} Afforney nir'rnio Srhrhs,

Parana? @rrrcn.

JOHN BROOKS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

PlLL-MACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,524, dated December 18, 1883, Application filed April 14, 1883. (No model.)

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pill-Machines; and I declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it,

hand-labor largely.

'referen ce being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists in the combination of devices and appliances hereinafter specified, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my compressing mechanism. Fig. 4 is an end elevation, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same. 'Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the feeding mechanism. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. Sis a plan View thereof. Fig. 9 is a variation of the compressing mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 10 isa planview of the same. Fig. 11 is a planview'of the upper and lower pair of rollers.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved pill-making machine, simple in its construction, adapted to be run by power, and to dispense with the necessity of handwvork.

In the manufacture of said articles heretofore, difficulty has been experienced in the power-machines which have been devised for the manufacture of pills. They have proved unsatisfactory, from the fact the pills made have been very uneven and have differed greatly in weight. This has necessitated the use of It is the purpose of my invention to overcome these dilhculties, and to providea power-machineby which pills of uniform size and weight may be manufactured.

In carrying out myinvention, as illustrated in the drawings, A represents the frame. B is the drive-wheel. b is its shaft; 72, a suitable drivingpulley, mounted upon said shaft.

0 and G represent a set of rollers provided with a suitable number of grooves, 0, adapted to receive a portion of the mass to be shaped into the pills. 0* and (3 are the shafts of said rollers. The roller 0 is provided with an an nular series of cogs, 0, adapted to mesh with similar cogs on the drive-wheel B. c is an annular series of cogs upon the roller 0, also 1 adapted to mesh with similar cogs upon the drive-wheel B. It is evident that the construction is such that the rollers G and G will be driven in opposite directions, asindicated by the arrows.

I design to construct the annular series of cogs c and 0 upon their respective rollers of different diameters, so that difference in the speed of the two rollers shall be secured, the roller 0 being driven with greater velocity.

1) and D represent another set of rollers, similar in construction to the rollers O and 0, each provided with a series of grooves, d, and are also driven by an annular series of cogs, (1'

and (1, adapted to mesh with the drivewheel B, said annular series of cogs being of different diameters to give said rollers a difference of speed. cl and (1* are the shafts of said rollers.

E is thefeeding-receptacle inwhichthe mass is placed. E is a follower adapted to be reciprocated in said receptacle by means of ascrew, E, said screw operated by the ratchetwheel F, the hub of which, f, is screw-tapped to work upon the screw E The ratchet-wheel is provided on its periphery with a suitable series of ratchet-teeth, f. The wheel is driven by meansof a series of pawls, f secured upon an arm, F, loosely engaged upon the hub of the ratchetwheel at one end, and at the other having a loose engagement with the connecting-lever F, said lever ecccntrically connected with a slotted disk, F, the slot f allowing the engagement of the lever F" with the disk at any desired point, to secure the desired throw of said lever. The disk F is driven by means of an additional gear, F and F the gear F driven by means of a gear-wheel, F, located upon the shaftj", the gear-wheel F meshing with the cogs (2 upon the roller D. It is evident that as the disk F is rotated a reciprocating motion will be given to the arm F, and the pawl f will be caused to drive the ratchet-wheel F, by means of which the follower E will be driven into the receptacle E, forcing the mass before it.

6 represents a series of holes of suitable size in the end of the receptacle, through which the mass will be forced by the follower. I prefer that said orifices shall be constructed in a removable plate, E, said plate being dovetailed or otherwise suitably secured in the end of the receptacle. In this manner I am enabled to use a series of plates Ff, provided with orifices v fiinnel H.

5 O and O, the pills will be partially shaped,and

6 of various diameters, to suit the size of pills desired to be manufactured.

In order that the mass may be forced more freely through the holes e, I prefer to taper the 5 adjacent end of the receptacle, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

G is a suitable knife by which the material forced through the holes 6 is cut in the desired lengths. This knife is operated by means of 10 an arm, G, suitably connected with the lever G said lever provided with a friction-roller, g. The lever G is operated by means of a cam, upon the shaft 6 of the drive-wheel B. The arm G has its fulcrum at upon the supporting-arm G It is evident that by this mechanism a suitable reciprocating motion will be given to the knife G, by means of which the mass will be cut as desired, as it issues from the holes 6. The receptacle E, I prefer to make 2o removable.

E is a suitable saddle in which the ratchetwheel F is located, and supports the screw E the saddle serving to prevent an end motion of the ratchet-wheel. The screw E and the 2 5 saddle are provided with a key-seat, said keyseat provided with a key or feather to prevent the turning of the screw E when it is forced forward by means of the ratohet-wheel. The

follower E may be retracted by suitable o meansas for instance, the end of the screw E may be squared to receive a wrench or crank.

g is asuitable bridge or supportfor the front of the receptacle.

3 5 severed portions fall into a suitable funnel, H, from whence they are delivered into the grooves c of the rollers O and O. The roller 0 tends to carry the severed portions of the mass downward, while the roller 0 tends to carry them upward, thus holding the mass for a suitable season in engagement with said rollers, the more rapid speed of the roller O eventually carryingthe revolving portions downward into the \Vhen delivered from the rollers are again delivered from the funnel H to the grooves d in the lower pair of rollers D and D, which rotate in opposite directions, as already described, which opposite motion serves to hold the pills for a suitable season in em gagement with said rollers, thus completing the rounding process, and they are ultimately delivered into a suitable receptacle beneath. I

desire to locate the funnels H and H in such 7 a manner that should the upward motion of the rollers G and D chance to carry the pills upward out of engagement with the rollers O or D, this action will be prevented by their engagement with the adjacent portion of said funnels.

of which the pills are made will have some tendency to stick to the rollers, the consequence of which, so far as the rollers O and D are concerned, will be obviated by the adjacent portions of the funnels H and H, as already described.

In order to prevent the pills being carried As the mass is cut away the It will be understood that the mass under the rollers O and D,any suitable means may be provided-as, for instance, wires may be stretched across and beneath said rollers at suitable points, as indicated at c" and d by means of which any pills that may cling to said rollers shall be disengaged therefrom; also, any tendency of the severed portions of the mass clinging to the knife may be obviated by any suitable means, such as a Wire located as shown at 9 It is obvious that it will be essential that the grooves 0 upon the upper pair of rollers should be located opposite each other. The same is true of the groovesd on the lower pair of rollers. In order to securethis adjustment, the shafts of said rollers run upon central bearings, I,which are screw-threaded, through the adjacent portions of the frame, by means of which the location of said rollers may be adjusted as desired. The rollers O and D have their bearings in the adjacent portions of the frame; but in order to secure the proper adjustment of the rollers G and D tothe rollers O and D, I provide a saddle-piece or bracket,

J, constructed with slots in which the rollers O and D have their bearings, said bracket having an adjustable connection with the frame by means of bolts 3', passing through the slot j.

I have described thesevered portions of the mass as falling directly from the holes e into the funnel H, and l contemplate such an op eration of the device as coming within the scope of my invention. I contemplate, however, providing suitable compressing mechanism adapted to receive the severed portions of the mass before they fall into the funnel H. This compressing mechanism is shown particu- IO 5 larly in Figs. 8, 4, and 5, in whichK is a suitable cam located upon the shaft 0 although it might be,if desired,located upon the shaft d K and K represent a pair of cam-levers located upon opposite sides of the cam-shaft 0 said levers connected at their lower ends by a suitable spring, K. The levers K and K are provided at their upper extremities with the compressing-arms 7c and is, each of said arms adapted to drive a series of com- II 5 pressors, k and k said compressors having a pivoted connection with said compressingarms, as shown at k andlr". The compressors are constructed with a suitable concavity at their inner ends,and slide upon suitable pins, L, secured in a standard,fL. It is evident that as the cam K revolves a reciprocating motion will be given to the compressing-arms k and 7c, and also to the compressors k and k upon the pins L. Their concavities are located so I2 5 as to close immediately below the holes 6 in the end of the receptacle E. The compressors are made to open and close at the desired intervals by a suitable adjustment of the cam K upon the shaft 0. These compressors recipro- 1 o cate in a straight line.

Immediately below the compressorsI locate reciprocating plates M, provided with corrugations, said plates being caused to reciprocate by a pair of cam-levers similar to K and K located upon the opposite side of the machine, and caused to operate by a cam similar to K upon the opposite end of the shaft 0 said plates connected with said cam-levers by means of connecting-arms similar to k and k, the location of the two cams upon the opposite ends of the shaft 0 being such that; said plates and said compressors shall be recipro cated alternately. When the knife G descends, said plates are closed and catch the severed portions of the mass, which portions are held by said plates until the compressors Z52 and 75 close thereon, engaging said severed portions between the concavities. this operation the severed portions will be considerably rounded before they descend into the fun nel H, when said compressors are opened. Upon the opening 'of said passages, however, should the pill material cling to the compressors it will be seen that when they are forced back upon the pins L any clinging substance will be forced off from Contact with the compressors.

I would have it understood that I design to use this compressing mechanism or not, as may seem desirable. I would also have it under stood that instead of two sets of compressors, k and It, provided with their separate operative mechanisms, I may use one of said compressors and its operative mechanism, said compressors being located directly in front of the holes e, the construction being such that the concaved faces of the compressors will close against the knife as it descends. By constructing the compressors in this manner, the amount of the mass forced through the holes 0 to be severed may be more effectually controlled, and the pills be made of more uniform weight.

Figs. 9 and 10 show a variation of the compressing mechanism, in which the knife G is provided with wedge-shaped bearing-surfaces A single set of compressors, is", mounted upon pins L, are provided with springs X, adapted to force said compressors forward, the concaved end of said compressors being opposite to the orifices e in the receptacle,the construction being such that when the knives are forced downward the wedgeshaped faces will force the compressors back the desired distance, and when the knife is lifted the springs will force the compressors forward upon the mass.

I would have it understood that I desire to employ any of these means herein described for compressing the severed portions of the mass, or they may be entirely dispensed with, if preferred.

The springs N may be retracted by means of an arm, N, provided with an anti-friction roller, or, adapted to engage against the wedges upon the knife.

It is desirable in a pill-machine to provide mechanism whereby the pills may be made spherical or oval, as may be desired. It is evident that the grooves c and 4 may be of any suitable form. Should it be preferred to manufacture spherical pills, I would construct said grooves in the upper and lower pair of rollers to correspond. Should it be desired, however, to construct the pills oval in shape, I would construct the upper pair of rollers each having a series of semicircular grooves, as shown at c, Fig. 11; but the lower pair of rollers I should prefer to construct with grooves semi-oval in form, as sh own at d, Fig. 11. By this construct-ion it is evident that the pill, after being rolled into contact with the upper series of rollers, will fall to the lower series and be engaged in the semi-oval grooves, and be formed into an oval shape, as shown at D. I would have it understood, however, that I design to construct said grooves upon both pairs of rollers of any desired shape.

\Vhat I claim is V 1. In a pill-machine, the combination, with a suitable frame, of two pairs of grooved rollers arranged to rotate in the same vertical plane, and one pair located under the other pair, the construction being such that the mass will be delivered from one set of rollers to the other, driving mechanism adapted to drive said rollers, and in connection th erewith suitable feeding mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a pill-machine, the combination, with a suitable frame, of two pairs of grooved rollers arranged to rotate in the same vertical plane, and one pair located directly above the other, the construction being such that the mass will be delivered from the upper downward directly to the lower pair, and a drivingshaft geared with both pairs ofrollers in such a manner that the rollers of each pair shall have a difference of speed, whereby the severed portions of the mass shall be held suitably in suspension in engagement with said rollers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a pill-machine, the combination, with a suitable frame, of two pairs of grooved roll ers arranged to rotate in the same vertical plane, and one pairlocated directly above the other, the construction being such that the mass will be delivered from the upper to the lower pair, and a driving-shaft geared with both pairs of rollers in such a manner that the rollers of each pair shall have a difference of speed, said rollers provided with means whereby they may be suitably adjusted in any de sired direction, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a pill-machine, two pairs of gro. ved rollers arranged to rotate in the same vertical plane, and one pair located directly above the other, said rollers provided at each of their sides with an adjustable center bearing, said bearings having an adjustable connection with their supports, whereby said rollers may be adjusted, substantially as described.

5. In a pill-machine, the combination, with a suitable frame, of two pairs of grooved rollers arranged to rotate in the same vertical plane, and one pair located directly above the .ing mechanism, substantiallyas described.

9. The combination, with asu-itable frame, of two pairs of grooved rollers, onerpair loother, and in connection therewith vertical brackets J, said brackets having an adjustable connection with the frame, and provided with adjustable center bearings for the rollers, sub stantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a pill-machine, the combination, with a feeding-receptacle, of a removable disk provided with discharge-orifices e, and in connection therewith a follower adapted to be reciprocated in said receptacle by suitable mechanism, substantially as described.

7. In a pill-machine, a feeding-receptacle provided with discharge-orifices e, a follower provided with a screw-cut stem, and in comblnation therewith a ratchet-wheel upon said stem, said ratchet-wheel adapted'to be driven by one or more pawls operated by suitable reciprocating mechanism, substantially as described.

8. In a pill-machine, a feeding-receptacle provided with dischargeorifices, a follower provided with-a screw-cut shaft, and in combination therewith a ratchet-wheel upon said shaft, said ratchet-wheel adapted to be driven by one or more pawls located upon a reciprocating arm, said arm connected with the driving-gear of the machine by suitable intervencated 'abovethe other, the construction being such that the mass will be delivered from one set of rollers to the other, and in connection therewith suitable feeding mechanism, and funnels H and H, adapted to receive th'e 'sevcred mass from the feeding mechanism and direct it into the grooves of said rollers, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with a suitable frame, of'two pairs of grooved rollers, the construc-' tion being such that the mass will be delivered from one set of rollers to the other, funnels H and H, adapted to direct the severed mass into the grooves of said rollers, said'fu-nnels adapted i to prevent the mass from being carried upward, and in connection therewith means by which the mass shall also be prevented fromf being carried under the rollers, substantially as described.

11. Ina pill-machine, the combination, with the feeding-receptacle provided with orifices e, of a knife, G, said knife adapted to be'reciprocated by suitable mechanism'in such a manner as to sever the mass forced through said orifices, substantially asdescribed.

12. Thecombination, with the feeding-receptacle provided with orifices c, of a knife, G, said knifesccured' to arecip-rocating arm, 1 and mechanism for reciprocating said arm, the-construction being such that the mass will besevercd'by said knife as it is forced'through said orifices, substantially as and for the purpose described.

13. In a pill-machine, thc'combination, with two pairs of grooved rollers so arranged and constructed that 'the mass will be delivered from one set of rollers to the other, of a drivingshaft'gcared'therewith, mechanism adapted to feed the mass in severed portions tosaid rollers, and in addition thereto suitable compressing mechanism adapted to compress said severed portions of the mass and deliver them said compressors mounted upon a series of pins, L, the construction being such that'the compressors may be reciprocated upon said pins, substantially as and for the purpose-described.

15. In a pill-machine, com-pressing mechanism consisting of two pairs of cam-levers on opposite sides of a-canrshaft and adapted to be operated bysaid cam-shaft, a spring-adapted to retractsaid levers, compress'i'ng-armsic and'k', secured thereto, aseries-of compressors.

connected with said arms, pins L, upon which the cornpressorsarc mounted, :and in addition thereto corrugated plates siin-ilarly operated bythe opposite levers, the construction being such that 'the-compressors may be reciprocated upon said pins, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

16. In a pill-machine,the combination, with the feeding-receptacle provided with orifices e,=of:a knife, G, adapted to be reciprocatcd by suitable mechanism, and provided with wedge-shaped faces, a series of compressors mounted upon-a'sericso'f pins, and III-00111160 tion therewith suitable springs adapted to forcethe compressorsforwardagainstthcmass forced-through the orifices-c, substantially as described.

17. In a pillunachine, 'a series'of compressors mounted upon pins, and in connection therewith, means by whichsaid compressors maybe reciprocated upon the pins, substantially asandfor the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the prcsenceof two witnesses.-

JOHN BROOKS.

W'itnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, WILLIAM FORD. 

